Many jazz cats would surely remember of Francesco Cafiso, the young sax player that has been taken under Wynton Marsalis’ patronage: under this teenaged jazz player’s artistic direction, the 1st edition of the "Vittoria Jazz Festival - Music & Cerasuolo Wine" was held in Vittoria, a small center of Ragusa area, in Sicily, from May 31st to June 22nd. Italian All Stars Saturday 31 May 2008 The kicking-off concert featured Italian All Stars Andrea

Many jazz cats would surely remember of Francesco Cafiso, the young sax player that has been taken under Wynton Marsalis’ patronage: under this teenaged jazz player’s artistic direction, the 1st edition of the "Vittoria Jazz Festival - Music & Cerasuolo Wine" was held in Vittoria, a small center of Ragusa area, in Sicily, from May 31st to June 22nd.

Italian All StarsSaturday 31 May 2008The kicking-off concert featured Italian All Stars Andrea Pozza (piano), Rosario Bonaccorso (double-bass), Roberto Gatto (drums) and Gianluca Petrella (trombone) led by trumpet player Flavio Boltro: and in the area before the former Centrale Elettrica (Electric Power Plant) now a museum which, during the festival, hosted famous illustrator Guido Crepax’ plates of a story concerning jazz music, and the works of a sculptor known all over the world and just born in Vittoria, Arturo Di Modica, author of the famous Charging Bull, that’s the symbol of Wall Street the musical chemistry provided for a fresh and powerful combination. A large and attentive audience gathered, ready to mark with clapping each musicians: Boltro’s trumpet in There Is No Greater Love, Gatto’s sculptured brushing, Bonaccorso’s tidy soloing. The intervention of Petrella’s trombone is enthralling, sprightly Pozza’s in Boltro’s Side Winter, crackling at his turn, whereas his First Smile is more delicate, with a surprising ending from Gatto, who goes on to flow into Song for Flavia, a composition Bonaccorso wrote for his daughter. In Sentimental (Count Basie), the sound inventions and evolutions of the trombone are incredible, and, after another tune from Boltro, the group plays Idea, where Petrella duets with Gatto, and the show closes with two Monk’s pieces, Evidence, expounded by the double-bass, and Rhythm-A-Ning, with outstanding phrasing between Boltro and Petrella, and finally all the others: the end worthy the two hours of a burning music.

High FiveSaturday 7 June 2008High Five brought its involving music to the festival, attracting the audience’s attention albeit a humid and boaring wind breeze. With the line-up that recently reinvigorated its musical mark Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet and flugelhorn), Daniele Scannapieco (tenor sax), Pietro Ciancaglini (double-bass), Lorenzo Tucci (drums), definitively accomplished with Luca Mannutza (piano) the band presents a preview of some of the tunes listed on the new album, F-F-F (Five For Fun), just released on Blue Note. Cedar Walton’s standard Ojos de Rojo opens, with the unison of the two wind-instruments on a rumba time: this is a number charged with energy, emphasized in the ending turn-around. The slower Così Come Sei (Mannutza) follows, 5/4 with a crepuscular melody and a rhapsodic progression. Ciancaglini starts out Nino’s Flowers, a composition from Scannapieco with a Coltrane-style impetuosity and good fittings in combination with Tucci, who provides for a rhythmic conduction with unlimited creativity and a long genial break without snares: the most engaging tune of the show. Slower is Estudio Misterioso, graceful incipit from Mannutza, and Bosso who blows his persuasive flugelhorn, yet without loosing his usual agile burst; Ciancaglini’s solo contribution is vibrating and with beautiful blue notes. The session unit is proved very close in On the Way Home, the piano with a fluent phrasing and the drums escorting Scannapieco’s solo, well performed though his slight indisposition. The flugelhorn is bright in slow and dense Naty (Ciancaglini), and then F-F-F concludes: a hardbop very driven that made Bosso’s mute esteemed, firstly whispered then glittering in polychromy, as well as the elasticity of Mannutza and the rhythm session. In order to relief the wind, the night was heat up by the free wine tasting of renowned Cerasuolo di Vittoria docg, offered by the Consorzio di Tutela.

Cattano BrosSunday, 8 June 2008To enliven the forth evening of the program was Cattano Bros Quartet: on stage were Alberto Amato (double-bass), Antonio Moncada (drums) and the Cattano brothers, multi-instrumentalist Carlo and young trombone player Tony. A band without harmonic instrument that already announces consequences worth of great interest and attention, for a concert distinguished by multi-themed compositions, which implied richness of expression and musical languages, and confirmed Tony Cattano such a musician particularly active on the sound and timbre research. The set enclosed all originals, a summa of the jazz language from its origins to the modern avant-garde implications: Carlo Cattano’s baritone sax is vigorous in Monk, a blues dangling on the full-bodied and black Amato’s walking, backed up by the coloured plungers of the trombone. The two winds’ chiaroscuro are brilliant in Black Smith, with Tony’s fun solo that anticipates the whooping moment of free, very appreciated by the audience: rhythmic reed clucks from the baritone with remarkable technique improvised music that would seem born in the Chicago suburbs but on the contrary it is from Sicily DOC and Moncada’s excellent solo. Besides the great variety of lines, also times frequently vary, as in The Zipp Mode, with pressing pulse provided by both drums and double-bass, which distinguishes itself for a precious accompanying with harmonics; or as in Focus, where the flute and the trombone seem to play the roles of an elephant and a butterfly. After a slant intro, Bartolo (composed by Tony Cattano) is a catchy tune with a very amusing dixie mood, an ironic hint that lies in the solos of the two brothers, in the light sticks of the drummer and in the ending quotation of Mingus’ Better Git It In Your Soul. MEM is a slow blues by Moncada, with improvisation of the soprano sax and Tony’s blown wha-wha in a wide range of colourful expressions. An ancestral beauty features Anassor, composed by Carlo for his wife, where, in unison with the voice, his flute echoes Africa upon the bass lines and the felted mallets of the drums. Drummer and bass player introduce What Is It About?, with vibrating "vocalisms" on the skin of the snare drum and a soft hand-drumming. A concert of very particular jazz, so gripping, that reveals the art direction’s sensitiveness and courage to risk with a music that is not always enjoyable immediately.

Giovanni Mazzarino TrioSaturday 21 June 2008With the last Saturday concert, featuring Giovanni Mazzarino Trio Nello Toscano on double-bass and Paolo Mappa on drums , the venue became a club, with the suffused and smoky sound of jazz: not accidentally the notes of the first piece play No Smoking, from the CD Nostalgia, just to heat up. Drenched in Latin warmth and taste is Rumba & Tango, fascinating and swinging, with Mappa who suggests imaginative cadences, and then the fast tempo Around (for Bill Evans), built up on the walking bass, where Messina pianist offers his extended and articulated phrasings, followed by a drum break rich in press rolls and in sounding and silvery cymbals. Then Nostalgia, a very large-timed ballad of which the delicate harmonic progressions could be better caught in a smaller ambiance but which, anyway, attracts audience’s attention, with the poetry of its theme. Toscano also features a pervading solo in Steve Swallow’s Wrong Together. The power of Gillespie’s Woodin’ You shakes, the interplay of the piano trio also shines on the faster time, and then Calà, which closes along the same feelings. The concert benefits from an unexpected appendix where two of the winners of the Vittoria Rotary Jazz Award also performed, sax player Luigi Di Nunzio and singer Marta Capponi, first and second classified respectively, escorted by Giovanni Mazzarino Trio: self-assured vocalist animates the ending with Bye Bye Blackbird and her involving stage-behavior, while sixteen elitist shows off his fluent solo ride in Softly and an enthralling duet with drums, enhancing his great timing.

Francesco Cafiso Italian QuartetSunday 22 June 2008The last night of the festival had Francesco Cafiso as its protagonist, now as a musician, for the debut of his new quartet with Dino Rubino (piano), Stefano Bagnoli (drums) and Riccardo Fioravanti (double-bass). Cafiso starts with Happy Time, a tune with a variegated rhythm, which showcases the good interplay of his new band: a bop soul dressed with changing humours, under the attentive guidance and the burst hints of Vittoria jazz player. Medieval harmonies dropped into a free context for King Arthur, tracing different rhythm structures and trusting to the very reliable Bagnoli and Fioravanti. Rubino releases a generous solo, the bass player does a nice one by drumming his thumb on the strings, pretty like an electric bass but with a superb and rounded acoustic sound. His last rhythm figuration is reprised by Bagnoli’s sticks on the terse snare. She Loves You, a heartfelt ballad, slow and vibrant with a three-movements time, then one of Cafiso’s warhorses, his "soft jazz" version of Lucio Dalla’s song Caruso, which makes the square fall silent. The show closes with Polka Dots and Moon Beams, very refined ballad, and a gushing Sonny Rollins’ Airegin, with the engaging duo sax-drums, the piano counterpointed by the double-bass and Bagnoli’s tinkling cymbals, for last sounding percussive interlude.

Therefore, a successful first edition, musically to be complete, the festival also hosted Dado Moroni Trio (14th June) and Francesco Buzzurro Quartet (15th June) as well as for the large following of the audiences, come by from the neighboring places: a good result which has already made the organizers, the Municipality of Vittoria first, make date with the 2nd edition, next year.

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Antonio Terzo)Concert ReviewsSat, 29 Jan 2011 09:40:59 -0600Erik Truffaz 4et: The Walk of the Giant Turtlehttp://jazzreview.com/concert-reviews/erik-truffaz-4et-the-walk-of-the-giant-turtle.html
http://jazzreview.com/concert-reviews/erik-truffaz-4et-the-walk-of-the-giant-turtle.htmlErik Truffaz is right when he highlights the difference between his own music, set towards research, and Miles Davis’s style. Although some critics have often matched his musical style to Davis, in actuality, he presents this no more than other jazz trumpet-players, since the Miles Davis style is, inevitably, the expressional template posed from bebop on. This difference is what soundly emerged from the fascinating concert Truffaz held for Brass Group at Church of "S. Maria dello Spasimo"

Erik Truffaz is right when he highlights the difference between his own music, set towards research, and Miles Davis’s style. Although some critics have often matched his musical style to Davis, in actuality, he presents this no more than other jazz trumpet-players, since the Miles Davis style is, inevitably, the expressional template posed from bebop on. This difference is what soundly emerged from the fascinating concert Truffaz held for Brass Group at Church of "S. Maria dello Spasimo" in Palermo.

The ambiance contributed to the right mood: in fact, as heavy rain fell, the seraphic french-helvetic Truffaz allowed the public to gather around him and his group (Patrick Muller on keyboards, Marcello Giuliani on bass and Marc Erbetta on drums), on stage, under the only covered side of the dismissed church, in order to shelter them from the cloudburst.

A loop on the electric bass starts the performance, and the intense timbre of Truffaz’s trumpet suddenly spreads around, wrapping everything and everyone. Fine interplay among the musicians, and minimalist drumming, sometimes syncopated, supports the bass that exploits cadences to let even silence play its own part in building up the tune. The sound of Truffaz’s horn is fresh and plain, rounded, and, on the coda, nice timing on drums treats a rhythmic and chanted solo, with reverberating snare. The trumpeter’s playing and improvisations are even and fair, instilling suspense, sometimes meditative, sometimes fluent, never obsessive and always tasteful.

Long-standing notes from the bass, under the electronic chords of the Fender piano, provide fertile humus for atmospheric sounds, while the song hems a funky-groove, very easy. Even more electronic effects are present in the fourth piece, but they never dominate, simply surrounding the voice of the trumpet. Percussions are the main character of the intro in The walk of the Giant Turtle, with percussionist Marc Erbetta producing a singsong voice, while messing with the parade of effect engines placed at his feet. The piano plays stopped notes and, finally, the muted-trumpet enters its part, to mark the evocative atmosphere of this tune, which is the title song of the album. The Mask is another work from this particular jazzman that contributes much to the set list, with songs such as Bending new corners, The Dawn, Arroyo and also, as the encore, the tune Betty.

Even with the inclusion of such odd electronic items, the set results are very attractive and full of rich sounds, where the trumpet constitutes the main voice in this multi-coloured ensemble.

Thus, with his music and trumpeting style, Truffaz confirms himself as one of the most interesting trumpet-players in the contemporary jazz scene.

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Antonio Terzo)Concert ReviewsSat, 29 Jan 2011 09:36:38 -0600Québec Jazz Festivalhttp://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/quebec-jazz-festival.html
http://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/quebec-jazz-festival.htmlQuébec Jazz Festival, from Canada to Palermo, passing through New York Québec Jazz Festival October 02\\03\\04\\05 2008 Palermo, "Kursaal Kalhesa" - via Foro Umberto I On 2\\3\\4\\5 October 2008, from Thursday to Sunday, the city of Palermo, Sicily (Italy), will host the Québec Jazz Festival, travelling festival, of which the purpose is to introduce the jazz scene from Québec by hosting in the venues of its editions some of its most significant representa

Québec Jazz Festival, from Canada to Palermo, passing through New York

On 2\\3\\4\\5 October 2008, from Thursday to Sunday, the city of Palermo, Sicily (Italy), will host the Québec Jazz Festival, travelling festival, of which the purpose is to introduce the jazz scene from Québec by hosting in the venues of its editions some of its most significant representatives.

This edition 2008, which will take place within the framework of the 400th Anniversary of the Foundation of the City of Québec, amongst the various stops in Europe - Spain, France, Belgium, Polland, Holland - will be hosted in Palermo, the city of proved sensitiveness for jazz, at "Kursaal Kalhesa" (via Foro Umberto I). The festival will then move to Turin.

"Québec Jazz Festival" - From Canada to Palermo, passing through New York "Québec Jazz" took place for the first time in 2007 at the Lincoln Center of New York, over 4 nights that quickly went sold out: Yves Leveillé Sextet with Paul MCCandless as a guest, JazzLab with Donny McCaslin as a guest, François Bourassa Quartet with David Binney as a guest and Christine Jensen with her sister Ingrid Jensen as a guest. The success of the first 2007 edition led the Lincoln Center to host a further series of 6 concerts on May and June 2008. Partners, sponsors & key players are: - The Cultural Institutions of Québec - The Montreal based record label Effendi Records - The Paris based Artists Agency Seven Productions - The General Delegation of Québec and the Canadian Cultural Centre in Italy.

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Antonio Terzo)Press ReleasesSat, 29 Jan 2011 08:49:47 -0600New album and new tour for Joe Lockehttp://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/new-album-and-new-tour-for-joe-locke.html
http://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/new-album-and-new-tour-for-joe-locke.htmlJust released under the Italian label Jazz Eyes, Sticks & Strings is Joe Locke's newest album featuring Jay Anderson on bass, Jonathan Kreusberg on guitar and Joe LaBarbera on drums, who will perform elegant original compositions plus a couple of standards, favourite pieces of his. Connected to the album, the omonymous European tour, to be started from UK in november featuring the same musicians, will head California vibist to Germany, Spain and mainly Italy: the only opportuni

Just released under the Italian label Jazz Eyes, Sticks & Strings is Joe Locke's newest album featuring Jay Anderson on bass, Jonathan Kreusberg on guitar and Joe LaBarbera on drums, who will perform elegant original compositions plus a couple of standards, favourite pieces of his. Connected to the album, the omonymous European tour, to be started from UK in november featuring the same musicians, will head California vibist to Germany, Spain and mainly Italy: the only opportunity to hear him live in some cosy little clubs.

November 02 UK, London - Royal Academy of Music "An Evening with Joe Locke" (w/ Neil Percy, the R.A.M. Percussion Ensemble, and guests)

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Antonio Terzo)Press ReleasesSat, 29 Jan 2011 08:46:07 -0600Great Eddie Gomez's new releasehttp://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/great-eddie-gomez-s-new-release.html
http://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/great-eddie-gomez-s-new-release.htmlFlanking pianist Bill Evans for eleven years and chosen by Charles Mingus to play in his latest recording "Me, Myself and Eye": that would be enough as card to present double-bass player Edgardo "Eddie" Gomez from Puerto Rico. Countless his playing together with other relevant musicians, from Miles Davis to the drummers who followed each others in Bill Evan’s trios (’66-’77) Philly Joe Jones, Marty Morell, Jack DeJohnette (the latter with Gomez in "New Directions") , from Lee Konitz an

Flanking pianist Bill Evans for eleven years and chosen by Charles Mingus to play in his latest recording "Me, Myself and Eye": that would be enough as card to present double-bass player Edgardo "Eddie" Gomez from Puerto Rico. Countless his playing together with other relevant musicians, from Miles Davis to the drummers who followed each others in Bill Evan’s trios (’66-’77) Philly Joe Jones, Marty Morell, Jack DeJohnette (the latter with Gomez in "New Directions") , from Lee Konitz and McCoy Tyner to Adam Nussbaum and Chick Corea, passing through the band Steps Ahead (1979-1984) to the most recent, but it also very lasting, syntony with Steve Kuhn. Supported by his mate in four recording adventures and several concerts, Swedish pianist Stefan Karlsson (with Rufus Reid, Marc Johnson, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Chris Potter, Dick Oats, Tim Hagan, Bobby Shew, Red Mitchell, Richard Perry, Eliot Zigmund, Steve Houghton, 7 albums as a leader and about 40 as sideman); and by the propulsive power of Nasheet Waits on drums (following his father’s steps, Fred Waits, and Max Roach’s favourite, featured in Fred Hersch trio, Jason Moran’s Bandwagon, and with Sam Rivers, Geri Allen, Ron Carter, Steve Coleman, Orrin Evans, Stefon Harris, Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Jacky Terrasson, Antoine and Wallace Roney as well), under the label Jazz Eyes Gomez proposes a jewel-case consisting of four standards and four original compositions on a cd with a particular title, Palermo, chosen by the bass player himself to prove his affection for this city and its moods. The same moods emerge from all the tracks selected, where Gomez combines his own mastery technique with a particularly sensitiveness and the expression of the great close-knit interplay with his bandmates. A record not to be missed by those who enjoy the elegant style of this doublebass-player, who is a living piece of the history of the jazz of all time: with the present trio, he tops the highest intensity of his jazz expression. And just released, actually the album was awarded four stars by the French magazine JazzMan.

]]>morrice.blackwell@gmail.com (Antonio Terzo)Press ReleasesSat, 29 Jan 2011 08:44:25 -0600Kevin Hays Trio latest releasehttp://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/kevin-hays-trio-latest-release.html
http://jazzreview.com/jazz-news/press-releases/kevin-hays-trio-latest-release.htmlGifted with personal style suffused through enviable versatility, precise in both soft ballads and fast paced rhythms, Hays is a surprising piano player who consolidates himself amongst the most interesting talents of international jazz piano. Born in New York City but raised in Connecticut, this 37 year old piano player has employed his workmanship playing with Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, John Scofield, Donald Harrison, Chris Potter, Al Foster,

Gifted with personal style suffused through enviable versatility, precise in both soft ballads and fast paced rhythms, Hays is a surprising piano player who consolidates himself amongst the most interesting talents of international jazz piano.

Born in New York City but raised in Connecticut, this 37 year old piano player has employed his workmanship playing with Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, John Scofield, Donald Harrison, Chris Potter, Al Foster, Buster Williams, Art Farmer.

Kevin performs solo concerts worldwide and as a member of The Sangha Quartet, which features young and well known overseas jazz players such as Seamus Blake (tenor sax), Larry Grenadier (double bass), and Bill Stewart (drums).

Yet, the group that characterizes him best is his own trio, which lines up as permanent elements bass player Doug Weiss and Bill Stewart on drums: the Kevin Hays Trio is about to release a new album, For Heaven’s Sake, masterfully performing some jazz standards. Issued by the Italian label MusicEyes on captivating vinyl-cd, the disc is about to be released on May 2006., in the United States, distributed by Premiere Jazz Distributors.

Recorded and mixed in New York, at Acoustic Recording by Michael Brorby, January 5, 2005, and released by the Italian label JazzEyes, the coming CD, titled For Heaven’s Sake, focuses on renditions of tunes that have already become jazz standards, ranging from the famous Ellington’s "Caravan" to Sam Rivers’ "Beatrice" and Victor Young’s "Beautiful Love", from classics as "It Could Happen To You" and "If Ever I Should Leave You" to Shorter’s "Lady Day", Rollins’ "Sonny Moon For Two" and eponymous Meyer/Bretton/Edwards’ "For Heaven’s Sake". Each one of them is treated with a refined sense of proportions, among the melody, the harmony, improvising digressions and the personal technique of each single element of the trio, according to an admirable integrity due to many years of reciprocal music acquaintance, all which makes this formation one of the most involving piano trios all around.